JD's Arrested Moments

Tower Bridge

2011-02-21T21:09:00.002-06:00

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What to bring on holiday.

2011-02-10T20:12:00.002-06:00

Traveling abroad is one of my favorite things to do other than photography. I think everyone should at least travel out side of their own home country at least once in their life. This past Christmas I went to visited a friend in Dublin, Ireland and then stayed in London a few more days. I really had a great time and looking forward to go back in a few years. But with traveling comes packing and with that comes stress, but the type of packing and stress I'm talking about is one with photography. If you're like my brother (who went with me to the UK and Dublin) and have a simple point and shoot, then you have it made...just put the camera in your carry on. But for me, its different.

What camera should I bring...my DSLR or my SLR, how many lenses should I bring, batteries, charger, mem cards, flash, camera bag, kit, or back-pack, tripod....is this going to fit?

Well luckily I've learned on my experiences...

Memory cards....depending how long you'll be on vacation depends on this. I was gone for 2 weeks, so I brought an 8 gig and a 4 gig. The 8 gig was well enough because I also brought my notebook and saved my pics every night that night. But I would recommend 2 cards just in case. A two 4 gigs is alright or just one 8 gig, but I still feel save bringing an extra one.

Lens...if you have more than 3 just bring 2. A standard lens and a telescope lens is all you need. If you have a wide angle lens then I recommend bring that instead of the standard.

Polarizing Filter... these will help reduce that awful glare you might get in your photos. Just 1.

List, a short list.... do your research, find out where are the best places to take photo-gs and what of, like landmarks. On the net I found a self walking photo-g tour of London. Try it out.

Small cleaning kit

Batteries...Bring 2, I only brought one and while at the Tower bridge it died...I had to use my brothers point'n shoot.

The charger...for the batteries of course, make sure you charge both batteries and don't leave one in the room charging and have the other one with you in the camera...something always happens, so bring both.

Flash/Strobe...Just leave it back at home along with your tripod. Not fun to carry around with every you go, its bulk and weight makes it a nuisance.

Bag... I did bring my camera kit and a back pack. Unless your back pack was like mine...made by Swiss had many compartments to store my photo-g gear...leave that camera kit. If not there are mini back packs that are only meant to carry cameras and lens.

Untitled

2011-02-09T21:29:00.002-06:00

Descending down the Tower Bridge to the engine rooms.

View Tower Bridge (blog) in a larger map

On the Eve

2011-02-08T11:16:00.004-06:00

I shoot this on the Hungerford Bridge in London. Looking down the Thames (pronounced Tims) on New Year's Eve 2010. To the left is the London Eye, on of the world's largest observation wheel. Top right is the Clock Tower which contains Big Ben, the actual name of the giant bell in side the clock...not the clock's name. This image was edited with www.picnik.com

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Project 365

2010-01-30T23:07:00.002-06:00

It's late...I just wanted to share that I will start on Project "365". Details soon to follow. EXCITED!

It's not easy being green.....

2009-12-01T21:18:00.004-06:00

I took this at the art car parade at night at Discovery Green Park, downtown Houston, TX. I used www.picnik.com to edit the hue saturation.

To get a larger view go here: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4151365427_1a0287b3a2_b.jpg

Mastering the Zoom Effect

2009-11-23T16:44:00.001-06:00

by Darren Rowse @ digital-photography-school.com

If you want to have a little fun with your digital camera next time you go out with it have a go at experimenting with the zoom effect.

In essence what the zoom effect is is a picture which look like the subject is either moving towards or away from you with motion lines.

There are a number of ways to get this effect some are done while shooting the image and some afterwards through zoom blur post production techniques. I’m not going to talk about post production techniques here but will instead focus upon what to do to achieve the zoom effect while taking the shot in camera.

Ultimately what you need to do to get this effect is set your shutter speed to be a longer exposure and then while taking the shot (between when the shutter opens and closes) you will need to use your zoom lens to either zoom in or out from your subject.

That is the basics of it but in reality getting a good zoom effect takes a lot of practice and experimentation and/or a bit of luck.

Here are a few tips to help you improve your results:

Photo by jahdakine

Keep the Camera Still as you will be using a slow shutter speed any movement of the camera will significantly impact your shot. Ultimately you want to capture a zooming movement in these shots so any side to size or up and down shake will impact the smoothness of the lines in your image. Of course camera shake can also add interesting effects to the shot but it can also make the shot too blurry. To eliminate camera shake use a tripod or set your camera on a still surface.

Lower Light Situations might help one of the problems with using longer shutter speeds is that you let more light into your camera. You can help your camera cope with this extra light by using a larger aperture (the larger the number the smaller the hole that lets light in) but in bright situations you still might not be able to use long shutter speeds without over exposing your image. As a result it can be easier to get well exposed zoom effect shots in lower light situations.

Photo by GustavoBockos

Lights are Fun taking the last point into consideration one of the most popular subjects for the zoom effect is lights whether they be city lights, Christmas lights, neon signs etc. They are often a good place to practice the technique and can produce pretty spectacular effects.
Move the Camera Manually if you don’t have a zoom lens or your camera won’t let you zoom while the shutter is open (as happens on some point and shoot cameras) the other way to get this effect is to manually move your camera towards or away from your subject. Of course this introduces other camera shake (see above) but it is possible to get a nice shot if you’re good (or lucky).
When choosing a shutter speed there is no one shutter speed that will work for all situations. Factors to consider will include the levels of light, the speed at which you’ll zoom etc. I generally would shoot at up to a second (or even a little longer) which is usually enough to zoom a lens from one end to another. The key is to experiment with different shutter speeds to see what works best.

Photo by Hugo*

Work on Smooth Zooming to get nice smooth motion lines in your photo you’ll need to work at a ’smooth zoom’. ie you don’t want to zoom at one speed early on and then speed up and then slow down (see next point for the exception). This will make your lines a little jerky. Getting a nice smooth zoom technique takes practice.
Pause mid-zoom another technique to experiment is to pause your zooming either at the start, end or during the procedure (while the shutter is still open). This will mean that what your camera sees at the point when you pause your zoom will be stronger and hopefully clearer in your shot.
Fire your Flash another element that you can add to this technique is light. You can do this with virtually any light but the most common one is obviously the flash. Fire it during your long exposure and you’ll freeze part of the image while still getting movement behind and around it. Some cameras will allow you to do this using ‘night mode’.

Photo by espion

Reverse the Zoom zooming in on a subject can give a different result than zooming out, especially if your subject is moving and depending upon whether you pause at the beginning and or end of the zoom. Experiment with both.
Partial Zoom some zoom lenses have very wide focal lengths. I have a friend with a 28-200 zoom and he finds that using the zoom effect can be too much if he starts at one end and goes right to the other. For starters he can’t maintain a smooth zoom over that focal length but also it’s just too much motion for one image. Instead it can be more effective to only zoom part of your focal length range. If you have a 28 200mm try zooming from 28-100mm or from 80-200mm or even smaller ranges.

Most of all have fun with the zoom effect and experiment.

You’ll only really work out what works with your camera and photographic situation when you give it a go and tweak your approach as you go.

Read more from our Digital Photography Techniques Category

Thunder lizard

2009-11-18T18:47:00.003-06:00

I went to work the other day to have lunch with Amber. While I waited for her lunch break I killed some time at the museum gift shop.

How to Photograph Abandoned Places

2009-11-18T11:19:00.002-06:00

Many times photographers focus upon finding the most pristine and beautiful places to photograph. Today Chris Folsom from studiotempura.com shares some of his passion for photographing abandoned places.

by Guest Contributor

Abandoned buildings have become one of my favorite subjects to photograph. Over time, I have collected a handful of useful tips to get the most out of shooting in these environments.

Bring a Flashlight

The single most important tip I can provide anyone planning on visiting an abandoned building is to bring a flashlight. Most of these locations are without electricity and will have limited natural light. As such, you’ll need a flashlight to help navigate the dark rooms and corridors that you will encounter.

Beyond its more obvious application, a flashlight can also provide an interesting source of off-camera lighting. I have a small LED flashlight that I carry on my camera bag and it is often used to light up an area of a room during a long exposure shot. While a strobe can certainly be effective for many of these situations, a flashlight allows for a high degree of precision with the light. You can directly control exactly what is lit and for how long. A flashlight can also add an element of movement to the lighting that will result in an unusual combination of shadows that a flash otherwise may not.

It takes some practice to get a feel for how much light is enough, but with some work the results can be very satisfying.

Stairwell by Chris Folsom

Tripod not Optional

Because of the aforementioned lighting conditions, it goes without saying that you will need a tripod. More than half of the photos I take at these locales are shot on a tripod with a long exposure of anywhere from a couple of seconds to as much as 20 or 30 seconds.

For those instances when I don’t have my camera on a tripod, image stabilization and fast lenses help as well. My favorite lens is a 17-50mm f/2.8 paired with my camera’s in-body stabilized sensor. Wide open, I can usually get a relatively sharp image at 1/10th of a second. More often than not though, the best results will come from shooting on a tripod.

Control the Exposure

I am not one who believes all serious photographers should shoot in manual 100% of the time. There are plenty of instances where I am confident that the camera will properly meter the lighting and autopilot mode is fine. Unfortunately, that tactic will not work in most abandoned buildings.

Because of the extreme lighting conditions of these spaces, you’ll need to control all aspects of the shot. In the photo shown here, for example, I needed to control the aperture (I wanted this fairly sharp from front to back) and I needed to control the shutter speed to ensure proper lighting. So, in this case I shot for 30 seconds at f/8. This particular image is also another example of the flashlight technique described above… I used it to highlight and bring attention to the chairs while leaving the walls to be lit by the little bit of light coming from the window.

Auditorium by Chris Folsom

Go Wide

A wide angle lens can really add to the sense of emptiness and foreboding in these buildings. The photo shown below was taken by a friend of mine with a 10-22mm lens at 10mm. Having something that can go wide in the small areas you’ll be photographing can be a huge benefit.

The Lobby by Jonathan Mowry

Emphasize the Mood

Use creative angles and perspectives to play up the natural character of the buildings. Get your camera low to the ground and shoot upwards to emphasize the vastness of a room, or shoot an angle to heighten the sense of disorientation. As a photographer you are telling the story of the place you are in and even a subtle shift of the camera’s perspective can make a huge impact on the mood of the photo.

Mouth of Madness by Chris Folsom

Focus on the Details

While it is easy to get caught up in the architecture, try to also pay attention to the discarded items and details in the area as well. Chairs, books, phones and other remnants from days gone by can provide a powerful centerpiece to the image. Focusing on a single object can also act as an anchor in an otherwise chaotic environment.

Lost Art by Chris Folsom

My final tip is for you to be careful while exploring these buildings. No photograph is worth endangering yourself, so take extreme precaution whenever you enter an unfamiliar location. Be safe and happy shooting!

Chris Folsom is a hobbyist photographer who spends much of his time photographing buildings that are no longer in use. You can view his site at studiotempura.com or see more of his photos at Flickr. His photos have been published on numerous websites and newspapers.

Jetting better JPEG images

2009-11-18T11:14:00.001-06:00

By: Jeff from http://www.revellphotography.com/blog/?author=3

Are you one of those people that just can’t seem to pull the trigger when it comes to shooting RAW files in your DSLR? Don’t feel bad, there are a lot of people out there who shoot JPEG and get great results. One of the real keys to getting better looking JPEGs is to make sure you are using the right settings in your camera. I’m not talking about choosing the right JPEG format (hopefully you are using the highest quality setting available). What I’m referring to are the custom settings that are included with most DSLR cameras for applying a certain “look” to your images. Nikon calls them them Picture Controls and Canon refers to them as Picture Styles but whatever the name, the goal of these settings is to apply specific scenario-based post-processing to your images.

Canon’s Picture Styles include 6 different presets including Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, and Monochrome. These settings are pre-defined to improve the look of your image depending on the subject that you are shooting. The great thing about these styles is that they can be customized to your particular tastes. If you dig into your menu, you will find that you can make changes to things like sharpness, contrast, saturation, and color tone. In the case of the monochrome setting you can even add filter effects (yellow, orange, red, green) and toning effects such as sepia toning.

Nikon has similar settings that include Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait, and Landscape. And just like Canon, you can make adjustments to the controls to customize the final image to your liking.

Whichever camera system you are using, you should take some time to explore the preset camera styles to add more creativity and control to your JPEG files. Another great feature of these settings is that you can save the customized styles as your own presets. By spending a little time in customizing your camera, you can be sure to get some great looking images right out of the camera with no need for post-processing.

untitled

2009-11-12T14:15:00.001-06:00

Texas Two Step

2009-11-12T14:13:00.006-06:00

Went to Discovery Green before class. The city was putting in new plants and I guess the workers took their boots off. Got on the grass and took the shot...the gardeners were looking at me retarded.

10 Questions to Ask When Taking a Digital Photo

2009-11-12T14:01:00.004-06:00

by Darren Rowse at Digital Photography School.

What goes through your mind in the moments as you raise your digital camera up to take a shot and before you press the shutter? If you’re like many digital photographers you’re not thinking about too much – you just want to capture the moment and then move on.

However getting in the habit of asking some simple questions can help take your images to the next level. Here’s 10 questions to get in the habit of asking while framing your shots. I’ve included links in each one to further reading on the topics. I hope you find them helpful:

Photo by Tim Gruber

1. What story am I telling?

This is an important question and one that should help you to make any number of decisions in terms of composition, framing, exposure etc. In essence what you’re asking is ‘why am I taking this shot? What is it’s purpose and what am I trying to convey?’ Is it purely a way to keep a record of a moment, are you trying to capture the emotion of a moment, is it possibly a shot to give to someone, is it part of a larger series of shots or will it be the only shot to commemorate the moment etc. Read more on telling stories with photos

Photo by H@Ru

2. What is the visual focal point of this shot?

What will viewers of this picture naturally have their eye drawn to in this scene? Once you’ve identified this focal point you can think about where to place it in the frame (consider the rule of thirds for example).

There are a variety of ways that you can enhance a focal point – some of which we explore here.

Image by MoonGirlNYC

3. What competing focal points are there?

Once you’ve identified what you do want your viewers eyes to be drawn towards and have placed it in the frame – scan your eyes over the shot and see if there are any competing focal points and ask yourself whether they add to or take away from the image? Secondary focal points can add depth to shots but they can also be very distracting and so you might need to reposition yourself or adjust your focal length and/or depth of field to accommodate or remove them from your shots (read more on removing clutter from photography). Also keep in mind that if your shot has more than one focal point that it might be worth taking two shots, one of each focal point, in order to keep things simple.

Photo by Keith Morris

4. What is in the background and foreground?

One of most common places for distractions in digital photography is the background of your shots. Run your eyes over the space behind your subject to see what else is in the image (do the same for the foreground). Consider whether you want the background in focus or nice and blurry.

5. Am I close enough?

Another common mistake in digital photography is taking shots where your subject is too small in the frame. Shots that fill the frame with your subject tend to be much more dynamic and show a lot more detail of your subject. To get this effect you have the option of moving yourself closer, moving your subject closer or using a longer focal length to give the effect of closeness.

6. What is the main source of light?

Always give consideration to how your subject is lit. Without light you’ll lose detail and clarity in your image and your camera will have to compensate by doing things like increasing ISO and lengthening shutter speeds (which could lead to noisy and blurred images). What is the main source of light, where is it coming from, is there enough light, do you need artificial light sources (flash etc), do you need to stabilize your camera on a tripod to stop camera shake due to low light etc. Read more on using artificial light here and here as well as photographing moving subjects in low light conditions.

Image by Darren Rowse

7. Is my Framing Straight?

It’s amazing how many otherwise good photos are spoiled by framing that is slightly offline. Sloping horizons and slightly leaning people or buildings should always be in the back of your mind to check. Read more on getting horizons horizontal and getting other lines straight.

Also related to this question is that of ‘Am I holding my Camera correctly?‘ Many people don’t and as a result suffer from camera shake and framing mistakes.

Photo by Andrew Morrell

8. What other perspectives could I capture this subject from?

Put 10 digital camera owners in front of a scene and most of them will take exactly the same shot from the same position. Make your images stand out from the crowd by challenging yourself to not only take the standard shots that everyone else will get but to find creative and fresh angles and perspectives to shoot from.

Image by Darren Rowse

9. How would holding the camera in the other format change this shot?

Many photographers get into the habit of always holding their camera the same way (horizontally/landscape or vertically/portrait). While it’s OK to have a preference one way or the other it’s also worth remembering that changing the format can drastically change the impact of the shot. Don’t forget you can also hold your camera at an angle for an effective result too.

Photo by A is for Angie

10. How will the eye travel through this image?

This is related to asking about focal points but gets in touch with the fact that while you’re photographing a still image your viewers eyes don’t remain still as they look at an image. People tend to follow lines and are attracted to shapes and colors so considering all of these different visual elements and cues can help improve your shots considerably. Read more on horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines and how they impact a shot.

Of course you probably won’t remember all the questions and you’re unlikely to go through each of them with every shot you take – however next time you head out with your digital camera concentrate on asking yourself at least one or two of them as you take your shots. As you do you’ll find that they become more automatic and in time you’ll naturally take digital photography shots that take into account all of these elements.

Get more digital photography tips like this by subscribing to our free weekly digital photography schoool email newsletter.

Read more from our Digital Photography Techniques, Photography Tips for Beginners Categor

How to Photograph a Spider’s Web

2009-11-12T10:56:00.003-06:00

From Digital Photography School:

by Darren Rowse

One subject that presents photographers with wonderful opportunities but also a lot of challenges is the spider’s web. There’s something about their delicate nature (while also being incredibly strong for their size), flexibility and beauty that draws me to them every time.

But how do you photograph spider’s webs? Here are 11 tips to keep in mind:

Shoot on a still day

Spider’s webs are incredibly light and if there’s even a hint of breath in the air they’re likely to move as you photograph them. This has the potential to not only cause blur in your shot – but also movement will shake off any moisture on them and potentially could even break them. Generally the stillest part of the day is early morning (which is also a great time for finding dew covered webs).

Be an environmentally friendly photographer

We’ve covered this topic numerous times here at DPS but it’s worth remphasising. Remember that where there’s a web there’s a little (or not so little) creature that made it.

Photo by marika_te

Find a dark background

The backgrounds of all shots are important as they either add to or distract from the shot. WIth spider’s webs it is particularly important to have a plain and preferably dark background. This will enable the web itself to stand out and be the feature of the shot.

Narrow your Depth of Field

To isolate the web further from your plain and dark background choose a large aperture (small ‘f/number’) to give you a shallow depth of field. This will throw your background out of focus.

Shoot from head on

Photographing webs from all angles can leave you with interesting results – however getting directly in front of the web and shooting from straight on will enable you to keep the full web in focus as the distance from your lens to all parts of the web will be similar – negating any narrow depth of field you might have. Of course you might also like some shallow depth of field shots (large apertures for these) from different angles to see what effect you can get.

Photo by Camilo Posada

Use Manual Focussing

Switching your camera to manual mode is something that most macro photographers find helpful because even the slightest changes in focussing can have a large impact. As webs are so fine even being slightly out of focus can ruin your shot.

Tripods Please

Keeping the web still by shooting on a still day is important – but so is keeping your camera still. The intricate details of a web on a contrasting background mean that camera movement will be very noticeable.

Dew on the Web

One of the classic photos of spider’s webs are those with dew or rain droplets on them. The great thing about moisture on a web is that it widens the web slightly and helps it to stand out more clearly. As already mentioned – the best time of day for dewy webs is mornings.

Photo by shesnuckinfuts

Fill Your Frame

Use your zoom to get in as close as you can to the spider’s web. If you’ve got a macro lens or macro mode switch to it to help you focus up nice and close. Another framing is to focus upon just a smaller part of the web and the patterns that you see there. In this way you can end up with some real detail and abstract composition.

Shoot from both sides

Sometimes a web can look quite dull and lifeless from one side while the other side has the light falling upon it in a way that just brings it to life! This will also help you to see the web with a different background.

Experiment with a Flash

I find that shooting with natural light is generally best – but sometimes adding some artificial light with a flash can light up the web nicely and get some good highlights.

Stretch

2009-09-10T16:57:00.001-05:00

Naming Contest 1

2009-08-17T20:43:00.010-05:00

Click to make larger

I took this shot when I went to Athens Greece visiting the Temple of Zeus this is the gate way to the new city they say. What would you call this piece? Hit the comment button and post your title.

The Fallen

2009-08-15T13:18:00.003-05:00

Glenwood Cemetery. One of Houston's oldest cemeterys and beautiful as well. These angles are all over the place and different poses as well. Histrical figures are resting 6 feet under the ground here. When Texas was it's very own country it's president is burried here. 4 TX governers, 20 Houston mayors, Oil Tycoons, activist, Howard Huges is here as well. Did you evere think about whay that street is name Cullen, Westeimer...or why that park is named Heramann...there is a huge chance that they are burried here. Scared to go alone...they have tours!!!!

http://www.glenwoodcemetery.org/

Rice paper butterfly

2009-08-13T15:10:00.003-05:00

Click the image for a larger view.
Working at your local science museum has it advantages. I came buy the butterfly center on my day off. Here is a tip...if you want to see the butterflies at there active peak...come on sunny days, they need the sun's warmth for their wings where major blood flow is located. This is the Rice Paper Butterfly, it goes by other names...paper kite butterfly, wood nymph, or tree nymph. One of my favorites at the BFC. You will often see then flying around or on the Pride of Trinidad plant drinking nectar. If you're ever visiting the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science and I am working there that day...say Hi, and I'll bring out some butterflies that you can touch.

Schmap Houston Eighth Edition: Photo Inclusion

2009-07-31T21:47:00.008-05:00

One day I took a trip to the Zoo and took a ton of pictures. I uploaded them to my Flickr account. I guess one of my pictures (this one) was randomly selected for this application for the I Phone. I open my inbox and got this e-mail:

Hi Jon,

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo
has been selected for inclusion in the newly released eighth
edition of our Schmap Houston Guide:

Houston Zoo
http://www.schmap.com/houston/activities_museumdistrict/p=29333/i=29333_128.jpg

If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then this same link
will take you directly to your photo in the iPhone version
of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see
exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the
iPhone version of our guide at:

Houston Zoo
http://www.schmap.com/?m=iphone#uid=houston&sid=activities_museumdistrict&p=29333&i=29333_128

Finally, if you have a blog, you might also like to check
out the customizable widgetized version of our Schmap
Houston Guide, complete with your published photo:

http://www.schmap.com/guidewidgets/p=49323957N00/c=SL20193964

Thanks so much for letting us include your photo - please
enjoy the guide!

Best regards,

Emma Williams,
Managing Editor, Schmap Guides
www.schmap.me/ewilliams

At Work

2009-07-28T14:24:00.000-05:00

Perfume

2009-07-28T14:16:00.000-05:00

Iggy

2009-07-28T14:00:00.000-05:00